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Patented Feb N. vETERs. Phew-Litmanen wanhiugton. D. c.

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4 'l UNITED v STATES Pwr.'

GEORGE M. ROOKWELL, OF WOONSOOKET, RHODE ISLAND. v

oai-:SS FORM oa STAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,479, dated February 20, 1883.

Application led October 16, 188%. (No model.) Y

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE M. RocKwELL, of VVoonsocket, in the county ot' Providence and State ot' Rhode Island, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Dress Forms or Stands for use in Dressmaking, 85o.; and I do hereby declare that the following specification. taken in connection with the drawings lurnshed and forming a partof the same, is a clear,true, and complete description of the several features of my invention.

The objects of my said improvements are to provide a cheap, compact, adjustable, and effective device, which will serve the purpose of the usually expensive and cumbersome lay-tlgures now employedin connection with the makingof dress-skirts and otherowing or draped articles of dress, not requiring a lay-figure having a bust and shoulders.

After a detailed description ot' one ot' my dressstands the features deemed novel will be specified in the ,several claims hereunto an-l neXed.

Referring to the drawings,Figure lis a side view of one of my novel stands arranged for use,- and with a dress-skirt thereon, indicated in dotted lilies. Fig. 2 illustrates saidstand in side and end views when in its folded or compact condition, as when out of use. Fig. 3 is a top anda bottom view of a detached ad- In my dress-stand I employ a central sliding rod or spine, A, preferably composed of wood, and square in cross-section. Upon said spine are two radially-slotted disks, B, preferably composed ot' wood, and arranged to slidev upon said spine without rotation. To each of said disks B there is jointed an annular series of radial arms. The upper disk B isprovided with short arms a, and the lower disk with longer arms, a', and said arms are tlexibly -securedto their respective disks by a pivot-wire, b, preferablyatter the Well-known manner of connecting bows and braces to the slides and rings of umbrellas. An annular se- 'res ot' verticalbars, O, are each pivoted to an upper and a'lower arm, a and a', and these bars notonly serve as supports for a skirt, but they also serve as the legs of the stand. For cheaply obtaining very flexible and durable joints between said arms and bars I employ one or two sheet-metal links, c, and suitable rivets, as clearly indicated, thus providing for the expansion of the series of bars, and their contraction for folding them into a compact cylindrical condition closely adjacent to and parallel with the sliding spine A. For setting said vertical bars in their expanded position I employ at the lower end of the spine, and below the adjacent disk B, an adj usting-plate, D, having'radial slots, inclined at their inner ends for the reception of the' several arms a. This adjusting-plate is rigidly connected tothe spine, and has two series ot" said slots or re- Gosses-one set on each side thereofthe slots on one side being deeper than those on the other, so that by turning the plate over either adjustment can be provided for. The spine at its lower end has a screw knob or cap,d, which, when removed, enables the adjusting-plate to be readily taken fromthe spine and replaced in a reverse position. For locking the bars() in theirexpanded condition I prefer to employ a pin, f, inserted in a transverse hole in the spine A, adjacent to the lower diskB, as shown, and also a sliding annular block, e, on said spine, which engages with the arms a, and is prevented from sliding on the spine by means ot' a transverse pin, g, placed in some one of the several holes 7L in said spine, as indicated in the drawings,thus enabling the block c to cause more or less expansion of the upper ends ot the bars O, according to the particular hole whichl maybe occupied by said pin. In lieu of the pins, various forms of springlatches may be employed-as,forinstance, like those used in umbrellasor a simple thumblatch and spring may bev obviously used for engaging with serrations or teeth provided therefor on one side of the spine. It will be seen that when expanded for use the spine is elevated, and that the lower ends of the bars O,serving as legs to the stand, will rest evenly upon a door or carpet, thus obviating any necessity for and the expense of aspecial standard, as is requisite for lay-figures; and when the stand is folded it will be seen that the spine,

by being moved longitudinally, places said plate beyond the lower ends of the bars O, and thereby admits of the desired eompactness of the stand when not in use. It will also be seen that the upper ends ot' the bars O may be set or adj usted to anydesired diameter, thus lwith the adjusting-plate D attached thereto, y

IOO

enabling it to snugly receive the waistband of a dress-skirt, and permit the convenient arrangement of seams, overskirts, drapery, trimmings, Src.

The dress-stand, as shown, is very cheaply constructed, and can be aiforded at such low cost as to place it practically Within the reach of many people from Whom skeletonized 1ayfigures, by their comparatively great cost, are practically excluded. W'hen out of use my stand is light, readily handled, and occupies as little space for storage as can practicably be provided for.

While I prefer to employ some kind of adjusting and locking devicesin connection with the bars C, it is obvious that said bars, the spine, the disks B,and the arms pivoted thereto and lto the bars C can be successfully employed together without locking or adjusting devices, especially it' the pivoted joints are whollyor in part made quite snug or tight, so that they would ordinarily retain any position into which tney might he placed.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The dress form or stand embodying, in combination, the central sliding spine, and the annular series of vertical bars flexibly connected to said spine, and serving as legs to the stand, substantially as described.

2. In adress form or stand,the combination of acentral spine adapted to slide, the adjust ing-plate connected therewith, the series of vertic'al bars serving as legs to the stand, and the arms and disks for flexibly connecting the spaine and bars, substantially as described.

3. In a dress form or stand,the combination of the spine adapted to slide, thev vertical bars serving as legs for the stand, the arms, and the disks adapted to slide on said spine and pivoted to said arms, and provided with devices forlockingthe disks against movementon said spine, substantially as described.

4. In a dress form or stand, the combination of the spine, the vertical bars serving as legs for the stand, the upper and loiver series of radial arms, the disks pivoted to said arms and adapted to slide on the spine, and the block adapted to slide on said spine for varyu ing the expansion of the upper ends ot' the vertical bars, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the spine, the disks, the radial arms pivotcd to said disks, the vertical bars, and the pivoted links for tlexibly connecting the arms and bars, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the spine, the radial arms, and vertical bars, of the reversible adjusting-plate provided with radial recesses for the reception ot the radial arms, substantially as described.

GEORGE M. ROOKWELL.

Witnesses ERWIN J. FRANCE, JAMES HAoKE'rT. 

